Kia ora,

 

Thank you for your Official Information Act (the Act) request. This is
an automatic reply to let you know we received it.

 

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic response, the Ministry is experiencing
significantly higher volumes of queries and requests for information. We
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[4]Ministry of Health information releases  

[5]Unite against COVID-19 

 

 

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Kia ora
Thank you for your request for information regarding travel exemptions
across alert level boundaries.
In response to your first question, I am unable to provide you with a
specific policy under section 18(e) of the Official Information Act 1982
as no such policy exists. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and
Employment (MBIE) is responsible for business travel across alert level
boundaries. Exemptions for business travel are only allowed for specific
reasons and within specific parameters. People must adhere to the
conditions. Maintaining public health is paramount. If you believe that
someone has breached a restriction, this can be reported
at: [1]https://covid19.govt.nz/alert-levels-and...
Information about business travel is available at:
[2]https://www.business.govt.nz/covid-19/bu...
Your second question relates to personal travel exemptions approved by the
Ministry of Health. Please note that a Health exemption is not required if
the request is for travel already permitted under the Order or is for
business or work-related travel, which is referred to MBIE.
Given the transmissibility of the Delta variant, the Ministry is applying
a high threshold for approving exemptions for personal travel and require
evidence to support the application. The guidance is publicly available
at: 
[3]https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/dise...
Regarding approved exemptions for personal travel across alert level
boundaries, when people apply for a personal travel exemption they pick a
category that best suits their reason for travel and then provide more
details. The top four categories that have been approved are:

* an immediate member of your whanau or family has passed away and you
want to go to their tangihana  or funeral
* a close member of your whanau or family is terminally ill and you want
to visit them to say goodbye
* you have a another reason to travel
* you need to get support for your own mental wellbeing.

Please note that a further detailed breakdown of all applications approved
as at 22 October 2020 is not immediately available. This request is being
actioned but we would appreciate if you would advise us if the above
information is satisfactory and it can be discontinued.
You have also asked about the number of approvals for personal exemptions
given to people employed in particular agencies. The Ministry does not
require employment information when considering personal exemptions,
unless it is relevant to the application. As such, I am unable to provide
this information under section 18(g) of the Act.

Under section 28(3) of the Act you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to
review any decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be
contacted by email at: [4][email address] or by calling 0800
802 602. 

Ngā mihi 

OIA Services Team 

  

[5]Ministry of Health information releases 

[6]Unite against COVID-19 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: M Murphy <[FOI #17311 email]>
Sent: Saturday, 23 October 2021 12:16
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Travel Exemptions across Alert
Level boundaries
 
Dear Ministry of Health,

1 ) Please provide policy and procedure documentation and Ministry of
Health advice or communications about personnel working for businesses or
services which are exempt from the Covid-19 Public Health Response Order
traveling across Alert Level boundaries (high to low - ie. Level 4 to
Level 3, Level 3 to Level 2 etc.) for the purpose of work but remaining in
the lower Alert Level regions for the purpose of leave or holiday days.

2) Please provide policy and procedure documentation and Ministry of
Health advice in relation to assessing requests for exemptions for
personal travel across Alert Level boundaries. Please provide information
in relation to parameters around level of discretion allowed to decision
makers.

3) Please provide a breakdown (broad and in brief) of reasons for approval
for the 3947 approved exemptions for travel across an Alert Level boundary
(as of Ministry of Health website update 8am 22 October 2021).

3a) If records are held, please provide number of approvals for personal
exemptions given to persons working for New Zealand Public Service
Departments  or State services organisations outside the core public
service (ie. NZ Defence Force, NZ Police etc.)

Yours faithfully,

M Murphy

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
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to Ministry of Health? If so, please contact us using this form:
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4. mailto:[email address]
5. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
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Kia ora,

 

Thank you for your request for official information. The Ministry's
reference number for your request is: H202115127.

 

As required under the Official Information Act 1982, the Ministry will
endeavour to respond to your request no later than 20 working days after
the day your request was received. If you'd like to calculate the
timeframe, you can use the Ombudsman's online calculator
here: [1]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/

 

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic response, the Ministry is experiencing
significantly higher volumes of queries and requests for information. If
we are unable to respond to your request within this time frame, we will
notify you of an extension of that time frame.

 

If you have any queries related to this request, please do not hesitate to
get in touch.

 

Ngā mihi

 

OIA Services

Government Services

Office of the Director-General

Ministry of Health

E: [2][email address]

 

-----Original Message-----
From: M Murphy <[FOI #17311 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 27 October 2021 10:09 pm
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Response to your correspondence 23 October 2021

 

Dear OIA Requests,

 

1. Perhaps I could have worded my question better. To clarify. When
mentioning businesses or services exempt from the order I was asking about
government services listed in Covid-19 Public Health Response (Alert Level
Requirements) Order (No 12) 2021 Section 53. Obviously, movement across
Alert Level boundaries of personnel working for these services poses a
risk of Covid-19 spread to the greater community. 

 

 

 

I am requesting information on how movement across Alert Level boundaries
- gained via this exemption - but partially utilised for personal reasons
(to take leave or holiday days outside of their Alert Level of residence)
is being managed by the Ministry of Health.

 

 

 

a) If this has not been identified as a risk factor by the Ministry of
Health please advise.

 

 

 

b) If it has been, please provide all advice or communication from
Ministry of Health about appropriate management to the organisations
listed in Section 53.

 

 

 

2. My request is for internal documentation, policies and procedures and
parameters around level of discretion allowed to decision makers. There
have been documented discrepancies published in the media (ie. high
profile New Zealanders receiving exemptions for personal travel while
requests for the same purpose by others have not been granted). I want to
understand what measures are in place to ensure fairness and equity.

 

 

 

Is your response that no Policies and Procedures exist outside the
publicly available guidance you have directed me to?

 

If so, is decision makers discretion then absolute?

 

3. I would like to receive the information I have requested on this point.
I believe transparency and equity in relation to this point is highly
relevant and find it hard to believe that this would not be able to be
extracted reasonably easily.

 

"Please provide a breakdown (broad and in brief) of reasons for approval
for the 3947 approved exemptions for travel across an Alert Level
boundary. (as of Ministry of Health website update 8am 22 October 2021)."

 

3a. Please elaborate on your reply to this question (in "" below). Under
what circumstances is employment information relevant to an application
for personal exemptions?

 

Is there any preferential treatment beyond what an ordinary citizen could
expect given to requests for personal exemptions to employees of New
Zealand Public Service Departments  or State services organisations
outside the core public service (ie. NZ Defence Force, NZ Police etc.)

 

"The Ministry does not

require employment information when considering personal exemptions,
unless it is relevant to the application. As such, I am unable to provide
this information under section 18(g) of the Act."

 

Thank you for your time.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

M Murphy

 

-----Original Message-----

 

Kia ora

Thank you for your request for information regarding travel exemptions 
across alert level boundaries.

In response to your first question, I am unable to provide you with a 
specific policy under section 18(e) of the Official Information Act 1982 
as no such policy exists. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and 
Employment (MBIE) is responsible for business travel across alert level 
boundaries. Exemptions for business travel are only allowed for specific 
reasons and within specific parameters. People must adhere to the 
conditions. Maintaining public health is paramount. If you believe that 
someone has breached a restriction, this can be reported

at: [1][3]https://covid19.govt.nz/alert-levels-and...

Information about business travel is available at:

[2][4]https://www.business.govt.nz/covid-19/bu...

Your second question relates to personal travel exemptions approved by
the  Ministry of Health. Please note that a Health exemption is not
required if  the request is for travel already permitted under the Order
or is for  business or work-related travel, which is referred to MBIE.

Given the transmissibility of the Delta variant, the Ministry is applying 
a high threshold for approving exemptions for personal travel and require 
evidence to support the application. The guidance is publicly available

at:

[3][5]https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/dise...

Regarding approved exemptions for personal travel across alert level 
boundaries, when people apply for a personal travel exemption they pick a 
category that best suits their reason for travel and then provide more 
details. The top four categories that have been approved are:

 

* an immediate member of your whanau or family has passed away and you 
want to go to their tangihana  or funeral

* a close member of your whanau or family is terminally ill and you want 
to visit them to say goodbye

* you have a another reason to travel

* you need to get support for your own mental wellbeing.

 

Please note that a further detailed breakdown of all applications
approved  as at 22 October 2020 is not immediately available. This
request is being  actioned but we would appreciate if you would advise us
if the above  information is satisfactory and it can be discontinued.

You have also asked about the number of approvals for personal exemptions 
given to people employed in particular agencies. The Ministry does not 
require employment information when considering personal exemptions, 
unless it is relevant to the application. As such, I am unable to provide 
this information under section 18(g) of the Act.

 

Under section 28(3) of the Act you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to 
review any decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be 
contacted by email at: [4][email address] or by calling 0800

802 602. 

 

Ngā mihi 

 

OIA Services Team 

 

  

 

[5]Ministry of Health information releases 

 

[6]Unite against COVID-19 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

From: M Murphy <[FOI #17311 email]>

Sent: Saturday, 23 October 2021 12:16

To: OIA Requests <[email address]>

Subject: Official Information request - Travel Exemptions across Alert 
Level boundaries

 

Dear Ministry of Health,

 

1 ) Please provide policy and procedure documentation and Ministry of 
Health advice or communications about personnel working for businesses or 
services which are exempt from the Covid-19 Public Health Response Order 
traveling across Alert Level boundaries (high to low - ie. Level 4 to 
Level 3, Level 3 to Level 2 etc.) for the purpose of work but remaining
in  the lower Alert Level regions for the purpose of leave or holiday
days.

 

2) Please provide policy and procedure documentation and Ministry of 
Health advice in relation to assessing requests for exemptions for 
personal travel across Alert Level boundaries. Please provide information 
in relation to parameters around level of discretion allowed to decision 
makers.

 

3) Please provide a breakdown (broad and in brief) of reasons for
approval  for the 3947 approved exemptions for travel across an Alert
Level boundary  (as of Ministry of Health website update 8am 22 October
2021).

 

3a) If records are held, please provide number of approvals for personal 
exemptions given to persons working for New Zealand Public Service 
Departments  or State services organisations outside the core public 
service (ie. NZ Defence Force, NZ Police etc.)

 

Yours faithfully,

 

M Murphy

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[FOI #17311 email]

 

Is [Ministry of Health request email] the wrong address for Official
Information requests  to Ministry of Health? If so, please contact us
using this form:

[7][6]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on 
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[8][7]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer,
please  ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or
LGOIMA  page.

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Kia ora M Murphy

Please find attached a letter regarding your request for information.

Ngā mihi

OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [1][email address]

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